Anna's Marketplace Bakery — Restaurant in Goleta

This is a long overdue 5 star review. I've been going to Anna's since they were in the Fairview Plaza, over 30 years ago. While I've tried a number of their donuts and muffins, the one thing that stands out for me is their Apple Fritter.

IMO Anna's Apple Fritter is the best fritter on planet Earth! It's the perfect combination of cinnamon, apples, pastry and glaze - baked crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender in the middle. It's not too sweet - just the right balance of everything. I think what sets it apart from every other fritter is that they twist the dough creating many little cracks and pockets for flavor to nestle, and for it to bake up with uniquely pleasant "doneness". I lived in Boston for a time, in part spent a year away from my family. When my birthday rolled around, my wife (in Santa Barbara) asked me what I wanted being so far away. The only thing I asked for was Apple Fritters from Anna's. She Fedex'd me 20 Apple Fritters in an insulated box. It was heaven! I shared them with friends at work and had enough to freeze for another month.

Whatever happens with Anna's in the future, I hope their Fritter recipe and technique never gets lost. Their Apple Fritter is what makes Anna's truly special and unique to me. Although I must say - they simply make the best donuts in general than any other shop in town. Compare for yourself!

PS - they make them...

Cute bakery with great selection in cakes and pastries. The lemon bars are to die for. I really enjoyed that they let the top of the lemon bars bake and form a nice browned layer vs the traditional wet top with powder sugar. They don't skimp out on the thick crust either. I ended up grabbing another to-go because I was blown away by how delicious it was. They're dangerous... The double chocolate cookie (white and milk chocolate chips) was also tasty. The coffee they serve (I got an iced coffee) is a little strong, but pairing it with any one of the many sweet goods balances out the strong bitter-acidic flavor perfectly. When I come back, I will definitely need to exercise self-control because the baked goods look too delicious!

Overall jolly vibe, lots of visually stimulating art as well as a very well laid out display case for baked goods. It's a nice place to bring kids and chill a little with the fam. There is seating both in and outside, and the outside seating faces a nice open courtyard (kids can run off the sugar energy here) with a fountain. On Sundays, you can stop by for a coffee and pastry and listen to the musicians that come to play during the farmer's market. Great addition to a Sunday...

I love this place! They make the best croissants and danishes I have ever eaten!

If you want a pastry go for the raspberry or cream cheese danish! If you want a more savory choice go with the ham and cheddar croissant. If you want a doughnut go with the blueberry cake doughnut or buttermilk bar!

Other amazing things: The Lemon Bars, Ganche dipped macaroons, Pull-apart cinnamon bread!!!, and the zucchini bread muffin.

I am sure I am missing something but they are amazing at what they do. They bake mostly everything fresh every night!!! For a cheap eat go there before closing for cheap, yet still very tasty doughnuts!

One concern I have heard from others is that if you want croissants or pastries heated you will need to use the microwave yourself to heat them up. To me this is not a big deal (because everything is good as served and heated up in the microwave) and I understand that whenever Anna's Bakery has a line out the door, which happens quiet often, it would be impossible to heat...